


The Squirrel Made Me Do It

by SnowWhiteKnight



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, dense potato!Sandor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 10:02:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13245879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowWhiteKnight/pseuds/SnowWhiteKnight
Summary: Sansa comes home. There's an incident with a squirrel. Sandor has a laugh. Everybody is happy in the end.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mademoiselle_k](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mademoiselle_k/gifts).



All she remembered was the scream and then the crash. She almost couldn’t believe it had happened, and had to assess everything. _The world is black. Why is it black?_ _I was driving...at night? Yeah, it’s night. But it shouldn’t be this dark. Oh, my eyes are closed. I got scared and closed my eyes._ She heard a tittering coming from her right. Her head hurt from where she bumped it going over the curb, and she wanted to ignore everything, but she forced one eye open. It was the squirrel. _This is your fault,_ she thought savagely, glaring daggers at him. He ignored it, and continued to chitter and chatter at her before jumping out of the car through the rolled down windows and ran off into the night. _Mom and Dad are going to be so mad at me._

She was sitting in her car, which was in a ditch on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, because she had decided she hadn’t wanted to go home just yet. She tried the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She sighed heavily.  _ This is officially the worst way to return to town. This. Is. BULLPOOP. Ugh, this night would not be complete without-- _

Red and blue lights lit up the area.  _ Yep, my night is now complete. Someone kill me now, because if it’s who I think it is, I will just be so mortified, that I will die. _

“Hello? Can you hear me? If you can speak, call out,” she heard a harsh voice say. Her eyes popped open in recognition, but then immediately closed from the embarrassment. _And_ _of course it’s him, exactly who I thought it would be. Who else should bear witness to my stupendous blunder? He’s never going to let me live this down._

“Here...I’m here, in the driver’s seat.” She feebly stuck her hand out the open window. She heard him struggle to get to her door. The grass around the car was fairly tall, now that she took the time to notice.

“Well, shit. Hold tight, I think I can get you out. Do you have any injuries?”

“No, Sandor, nothing major, just a bruised ego.” She tested her limbs, just to make sure, but besides the general ache from tensing all her muscles during the actual crash, there wasn’t much wrong with her.  _ Thank the Seven I wasn’t going very fast. _

“Do I know you?” he asked, shining a light on her, effectively blinding her. “Oh, sorry, bad habit.” He lowered the light. “You’re...Ms. Stark, aren’t you?” he asked hesitantly. She nodded, her heart sinking.  _ He really forgot about me? Of course he doesn’t remember you! Why would he? How long has it been and how memorable are you anyway? Stupid little girl that you were last time you saw him. Fawning over him and telling him… that stuff. _ She didn’t even want to admit to herself in her head, not now, at least. _ He probably takes the virginity of lots of girls and forgets about them, _ she thought bitterly, knowing it wasn’t true and that she was just feeling resentful. “You sure you don’t have any injuries?”

She pushed back the hurt feelings. “I’m sure, Officer Clegane. If you can get the door open, I can get out myself. Seems to be jammed on my side.” He easily wrenched it open. “Wow, that was impressive.”

“Oh, well, I work out. Gotta keep in shape for work and all. Here, take my hand.” Her small, dainty hand was enveloped by his as he helped her out of the car. She relished the feel of his rough palm against her skin and was sad when he dropped her hand too soon. Now that she was out of the car, and able to stretch, she was feeling a little better. “I’ll have to give you a breathalyzer test, of course.”

She sighed. “I know.” It was standard procedure and her father, the sheriff, was very strict about his officers not giving favoritism to any of his children. Usually, it was Robb or Theon who was being pulled over, but it applied even to the designated ‘goody two-shoes’ as well.

He brought over the little machine. She knew the basics, breathe into the tube for X amount of seconds, and it would spit out a percentage.  _ Do whiskey bonbons count? How many of those did I eat? Dammit, Shae! This is the last time I take you up on exotic desserts. _ She stared at the machine for a split second, then her gaze shifted to the wide chest in front of her.  _ Gods, I wish I could see him without the shirt. Seriously, the fabric is all taut, I can practically SEE the muscle underneath, is he even wearing an undershirt at all? If he laughs too hard or if he really concentrated, I bet he could pop a button. Ugh, why does he have to be so nice to look at? Stupid sexy jerk. Why did you have to forget me?! _

“Any time, Ms. Stark,” he said in the wonderfully deep, raspy voice of his. She sighed and blew into the machine.

She stole a peek up at him. The burnt side of his face was illuminated in the light from his car. She itched to put her hand on his cheek.  _ But he barely remembers you...why did I stay away so long?! Oh, right, work. And he never returned my calls. I was punishing him, so I thought. Can't be a punishment if he doesn't know it. _ He was staring at her lips. Seriously staring.  _ Why is he staring, do I have something on my face? The chocolate! I swear it’s just chocolate! Or is it the vanilla ice cream? Oh my goodness, what could he be thinking of me?! _ The machine beeped and she let go of the tube, her hand immediately going up to her face to brush away any leftover dessert crumbs. He blinked a couple of times.

“Oh, says you’re clear. Odd. How did you manage to crash your car if you haven’t been drinking?” he asked.

She felt her face go red and it took her a few seconds before she mumbled, “There was a squirrel…”

“I’m sorry, did you say a squirrel?”

She nodded.

“And you swerved to avoid hitting it?”

In a very small voice, “No…”

“So you swerved to hit it?”

“What?! No!” She gaped at him.  _ How could he think I would hurt a squirrel?! _

He chuckled. “Didn’t think you would, but I had to ask. Alright, start from the beginning. What exactly happened?”

She took a deep breath, “I went to a midnight screening at the movie theater with my friend Shae and her boyfriend, Tyrion. I left the--”

“Seven hells, I don’t need the entire day,” he said, barking out a laugh. She went red again.

“You said, start from the beginning…”

“And the beginning is at the movie theatre?” he asked doubtfully. She nodded. “Fine, you went to see a movie with your friends. What happened then?” He leaned against the car.

“Well, I noticed this squirrel, just hanging out in the tree, and then I went inside. I, um, I sort of forgot to close the sunroof on my car, and I guess he got cold or tired or something, and snuck into the back seat. Well, after I got out of the movie, it was kind of late, but I wasn’t tired, so I thought I’d take a drive, enjoy some music, and these back roads are great for that. Um, I got a call from my mom, asking me where I was, so I pulled over to talk to her, safety first and all that. The little guy must have woken up, because when I pulled back onto the road, he jumped up onto the dashboard and that really startled me, which is why I swerved and hit the telephone pole and are you ok?”

Sandor…  _ Officer Clegane _ , she corrected herself mentally, Officer Clegane was holding on to his sides, his entire body shaking until he couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out in hearty laughter. Thanks to the headlights on his vehicle, she could see the tears running down his face. Sansa put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.  _ It’s not THAT funny… _

“Hey, c’mon, stop laughing. It’s not...you’re a cop! You’re supposed to be helping, not laughing at my misery!” she pouted.

He finally calmed down, wiping the tears from his eyes, “Only you, little bird. That kind of shit only happens to you.”

_ He called me little bird! _ Her heart soared. “You do remember me!” she declared. He was still smiling. “I thought you didn’t, when you asked me if I was Ms. Stark.” She was pouting again, but she didn’t care. It had really hurt her feelings. 

“Of course I remember you. I was just teasing you a bit. So you went to a movie with Shae and Tyrion? When’d you get back?”

She suddenly felt shy. “Just today. I tried to call you to let you know, but…" His phone had gone straight to voicemail. "Anyway, I had a late flight, Shae agreed to bring me my car if I went to see this movie with her, because she didn’t want to go alone, but then Tyrion changed his mind about it. I still wanted to see it, and catch up with Shae a bit, and of course I still needed my car, since neither of them wanted to drive all the way out to my parents’ house, the plan didn’t change."

“How long you in town for?” He sounded hopeful. At least, she hoped he was hopeful.  _ Now you're getting redundant.  _

“Just a week, gotta get back to King’s Landing by next Sunday.” She looked up at him but his expression was inscrutable. “Why do you ask?” She bit her lower lip nervously, hoping beyond hope. 

“Just making small talk. C’mon, get your stuff, I’ll give you a ride home. You can get Selmy to come take a look at it in the morning, make sure it’s still ok to drive.” 

Disappointed, she opened the trunk of her car and grabbed her suitcase.  _ He could have offered to get it for me. At least he turned off the flashing lights, and my head doesn’t hurt anymore. _ She dragged the heavy luggage to the open trunk of his police cruiser. He lifted it easily, and she admired the way his muscles flexed while simultaneously being jealous of her suitcase. The harsh thunk of the trunk closing was followed by a low growl and strong hands encircling her waist, lifting her up. She was sitting on the back of the cruiser and he was kissing her as he held her body flush against his.

“Seven hells, girl, I’ve missed you,” he whispered, his hand skipping under her skirt. 

“Could have fooled me, ya big lug. I thought you really forgot about me!” She kissed him hard, biting his lip lightly. “I was devastated.”

“Sorry, I really did just want to tease you, plus your dad installed front-facing cameras on all the cars and reviews the footage himself. Didn't think you’d want him finding out that way. Unless you wanted him to see me doing this?” His hand found its way under her skirt and into her panties. She moaned as he slid a finger along her slit and in between her folds.

“No,” she said, “wouldn’t want him to see this. I was hoping to run into you, out here, I mean. It’s why I decided to take the drive.”

“Hmmm? And why would you want to do that? Could the little bird have missed her old scarred dog?” he rasped.

“No, I missed my Sandor, mean though he is,” she pouted, though it was difficult to keep a straight face and not moan when he was fingering her so nicely. 

“Me? Mean? How am I mean?” he asked with a smirk.

“Want me to make a list?” she scowled before gasping as he slipped one and then two fingers into her.

“Ok, maybe I could have visited you,” he conceded. "And maybe not avoided you when you were in town, few times that it happened."

“Or you could have called, or wrote,” she said into his neck. “I would have even taken a Raven-gram! Oh, gods, that feels good.”

“I thought you’d forget about me once you got to the big city,” he whispered, his hand slowing down. She forgot about that and grabbed his face firmly in her hands, startling him. 

“How could I  _ possibly _ forget about you?” she demanded. “You are one of the best people in my life. Ever since you moved here, you have always set me straight, always been honest with me, and you were always kind in that brutish way you have. Sandor, I  _ love _ you. I told you that, the night I left for King’s Landing, the night you made love to me for the first time. Of what I had hoped would be the first of many times, I might add.” She stroked his burnt cheek with her thumb. Though she knew he couldn’t really feel it, she also knew that it pleased him that she wasn’t afraid of it anymore. “I was really depressed when the letters I wrote you went unanswered, when you didn't answer my calls or texts... I thought you had moved on.”

“There’s so many people in King’s Landing. So many handsome, unburnt, wholesome,  _ whole _ men that could treat you like a princess. It was only a matter of time,” he said. “I thought...I thought you’d find some pretty knight in shining armor and leave me in the dust. I tried to make it easier for you. It’s what every girl wants growing up, isn’t it? A handsome knight or prince.”

“Well, yes, but Sandor, I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m a grown woman, who has a job and rents an apartment, pays bills…I don’t need a knight in shining armor. If his armor is shining, it’s because he’s never seen combat, never dealt with real life! I need someone I can depend on, someone who will stand with me and not treat me like his personal property. I need a deputy, with a dinged up badge, a short temper, and a penchant for cursing. And a wicked cool scar, because when it comes to you, I find that I have quite the fetish for scars.” That earned her a laugh.

“A fetish for scars? Really?” He raised a good eyebrow at that.

“Only if they’re yours,” she promised with a smile, letting go of his cheeks and resting her hands on his broad shoulders.

“Little bird, I’m sorry. About how I acted when you left, about pretending I didn’t know who you were this evening. I want to make things right with you, but you’re going back to the city in a week,” he said sourly. Her smile broadened at that. “What? Why are you--?”

“Ask me when I’ll be back.”

“What?”

She smacked him lightly. “Just ask!”

He rolled his eyes and asked in a droll tone, “Why, Ms. Stark, whenever will you be--”

“Two weeks from now!” she interrupted excitedly. “And I won’t be going back after that anytime soon.”

“What? Why? What happened?” he asked, shocked. “Did you get fired?”

“What?! No, you jerk.” She smacked him again. “I’ve been doing so well these past few years, that my boss has decided to let me join the new office being opened here in Winterfell! I came up here to make preliminary arrangements, then I’ll go back for a week to pack up my apartment, and then…” she kissed him softly, “I’ll be coming back home.”

She loved how shocked he looked. “Here? You’ll be here?”

“Yes, I’ll be here. You have two weeks to dump whatever hoochies you’ve been using to replace me, because once I’m back for good, you’re mine,” she growled playfully. He laughed. "I'm not going to make the same mistake when I left. I'm declaring it right here, right now."

“Sure, consider them non-existent.” He rolled his eyes. “Like anyone could ever replace you. What about all the boyfriends you collected down in the city? Am I going to have to fend them off or are you leaving them behind?”

“Leaving them behind in the shadows where they skulked,” she said. “And good riddance. They kept stealing my pens.”

“I’ll scare off any stragglers then. So, what kind of preliminary arrangements are you doing? Office related, or…”

“Yes, and also looking for a place to live. I love my parents, but I’m  _ not _ moving back into their home. You wouldn’t happen to know of any places, would you?” she asked, leaning forward to nibble on his neck. 

“I, um...I might know someone looking for a roommate. Decent fellow, a bit temperamental, has a good job in the sheriff’s department, likes to sleep naked though.”

“Nice place? How many bedrooms?” She undid the top button on his shirt, and felt a slight amount of smugness when she saw he wasn’t wearing an undershirt. She switched to unbuttoning with only one hand, while the other stroked his arousal through his pants, and she moved the nibbling from his neck to along his collarbone. She had maybe, just maybe, been reading tutorials on how to get men horny specifically for when she ran into this particular man.  _ My goal for the night: I am so going to give him a hickey! For starters... _

“Very nice...he fixed it up himself...four bedrooms, though...only one bed.” He was fingering her again as she undid the second and third button of his shirt. His eyes were beginning to take on a glazed look.

“What part of town? Have to consider what my commute will be.” She only had three more buttons to go, then those pants, those deliciously snug pants that were growing more snug by the second.

“Um, part, town? Oh, uh, semi-rural area, north...west?” She grinned, proud that she had sufficiently knocked some sense out of him. She easily undid his belt and holster, laying them carefully next to her on the car.

“Oh, that sounds nice. What would rent be, do you know?” Her breath was coming in a little heavier and it was difficult to concentrate on undoing his trousers, she had to shift back to using two hands.  _ I forgot how good he is with his fingers. _

“Uh...rent?”

“Yes,” she whispered, freeing his manhood from its polyester prison, “what will I owe him in exchange for staying at this prime housing location?” Her hands went around the shaft and, using the dripping pre-cum as a makeshift lubricant, she slowly pumped him. 

“I.. I don’t… know… but… negotiable… later… sex… now?” 

“Maybe,” she purred.

“Please?”

“Good boy,” she said, letting go of his dick and shucking off her panties.


	2. Chapter 2

His heart had nearly stopped when he saw her vehicle on the side of the road, the front bumper smashed into a telephone pole. He had gotten a call from her the week before, but hadn’t answered it. She hadn’t left a voicemail either, which he wasn’t about to listen to anyway.  _ When did she get back? How long is she staying? Did she finally find someone worthy of her affection in King’s Landing? _ The last question really weighed heavy on him.

He was relieved to see that she was ok. The front bumper, while dented, was not caved in, suggesting she hadn’t been going very fast when she hit it. It was when she called his name that he made a decision.  _ It’s for her own good to distance ourselves. Her new boyfriend wouldn’t want her hanging around a lovesick old dog anyway. _ It was a stupid one that he instantly regretted when he questioned her identity. Seeing her face fall like that broke his heart. And then she called him “Officer Clegane”, like she did when he first moved here and she hated him. He didn’t blame her if she hated him again.  _ It’s better that way. _

He hated himself when his heart skipped a beat after she was impressed with his feat of strength opening her jammed door, and when it skipped another beat as he held her hand in his to help her out of the car. She frowned when he dropped it like a hot potato.  _ She’s still so adorable when she pouts. _  He was rethinking the decision of pretending to not know her. Especially when she was staring at the breathalyzer machine, and her eyes took on the dreamy quality she got when she was becoming aroused. He really wanted to take it all back when he saw her lips go around the tube and he was taken back to the last time he had seen her, the day they said goodbye. She had kissed him with those lips. She had told him she loved him. She had sucked his cock, and then cried out in ecstasy when he was inside her. Well, not when he took her virginity, but the time after that, and the next three times he took her that night. He had been so happy that night.

Morning had brought reality crashing down on him. She kissed him goodbye, told him to call or write, to definitely come visit. He had told her it wouldn’t be a good idea, but she had shushed him, kissed him again, and said she would miss him. He tried, at first. Sort of. Not really. He got her letters, saw her calls, but he was filled with doubt. After a month, he stopped reading her letters, stopped listening to the voicemail she left him. He knew it would frustrate her, but it was for her own good.  _ Forget me. Find your prince and forget me. _ He had gotten incredibly drunk the night she called seventeen times and left thirty-one text messages. Ned had chastised him on drinking that much right before a morning shift, but had taken pity on him and let him take a sick day. He had been regretting that decision, too, and hadn’t drunk a drop of alcohol since that night.  _ Can I take it back? Can I make things right between us? Is it too late? Did you find your prince? _ She had stopped calling and writing completely after that. 

When the machine beeped, bringing him back to the present, he was really surprised when she passed the test.  _ How did she manage to crash her car while sober? _

He listened to her story, already trying to fight a smile when she was appalled that he suggested she had aimed for the squirrel. Learning that the squirrel had been in the car the entire time and startled her had set him into fits of laughter.  _ It’s so classically her! _ Hell, he was laughing so hard he started crying. He felt lighter, and accidentally said his pet name for her. She got so angry at him when she realized he had been pretending to not know her, but he was feeling strongly about repairing their relationship now and told her he had only been teasing her. He didn’t want to admit that he had been trying to push her away, not when she was pouting so prettily and was offended that he dared to forget her. He had missed this, missed her. He felt better than he had since the day she left.  _ I can’t let her go, not again, never again. I’ll write a fucking letter every single day if I have to. _

He asked her how long she was staying, hoping she’d say she was back for good, or at least a very long stay, but no, only a week.  _ Damn, I have a week to seduce her and make her forget about any princes she’s currently dating. _ An idea was already forming in his mind. Probably not the best idea, but with the way she was looking at him, it may just work. First, though, he had to get out of sight of those damn cameras. It was all Lannister’s fault that they had to have them installed, and Sandor hadn’t cared at first, but this little reunion with Sansa and now his decision to win her back had him wishing there were no camera to witness what he planned to do to her. Before they had realized their feelings for each other, he had often fantasized about fucking her on the hood of his car. Completely impractical, especially now with that damned camera, but fantasies were not meant to be practical. He was grateful that there was only the one view that the video recorded, leaving him with the rest of his police cruiser to work with. He went to turn off the flashing red and blue and the headlights, leaving them in only the light of the full moon.

He felt a stab of remorse when he saw her lugging the heavy suitcase.  _ I should have offered to carry that. _ At the very least, it gave both of them a reason to be standing beside the trunk. He saw her staring at him again, and she licked her lips as he easily lifted the heavy bag.  _ This plan is starting to sound better and better. _ He closed the trunk and lifted her up and placed her on the back of his car. He had wanted to pace himself, but when it came to her, he felt like a green boy all over again. She was still mad, but she wanted him.  _ Good, I can work with this. _ Then she called him mean.  _ Ok, that’s fair, more than fair. She should be pushing me away, demanding apologies. _ Then she started to list his sins. He couldn’t go on, not without telling her why. He really did regret his decision. His defense was weak at best, but she understood. She was still upset, but she understood. That was all he could ask for.

She surprised him with her words, her loyalty, her devotion, and then practically declaring that he was the only man she ever needed. If that didn’t swell his ego, he didn’t know what would. Also that bit about her newly discovered fetish. He had missed her sense of humor.

_ She’s still leaving in a week, gone for who knows how long… _ but she was smiling. He was worried. She did have a tendency to react weirdly to bad situations. Did she get fired? He didn’t want her to lose her job, she loved that job. No, she was moving back to Winterfell! He was so surprised that he let slip his thought about her getting fired. She hit him for that. He deserved it. She explained that it was the exact opposite, her boss was rewarding her.

_ She’ll be back in Winterfell! Does she need an apartment? Would she consider living with me? Might be jumping the gun there... _ She said something about how he had to dump any replacements he found for her.  _ No one could replace you. _ He asked about her city boyfriends, half teasing, half serious. No, no boyfriends, just semi-stalkers that stole her office supplies. She started talking about what she had to do while she was in town, finding an apartment was on the list. 

Then she started nibbling at his neck. It felt so nice, he wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve her affection, but he would cherish it, and never push her away again. He mentioned her moving in with him, under the guise of it being someone he knew, but it was obvious that she saw through it. He was slowly losing his senses as she worked her magic on him, undoing both him and his shirt. He thought he started stroking her clit again, she was so wet. She said something. Something about rent? When did she get his dick out?  _ Oh fuck, her hands feel so good. _ He wasn’t sure what he was saying anymore, mumbled something about sexing now, thinking later. She teased him.  _ Oh, right, she likes it when I say please. _ That got her permission, and praise. She leaned back, her panties were gone, her skirt raised to give him access.  _ When did that happen? Eh, who cares? _ She was guiding him to her, teasing herself as she rubbed the head of his dick on her clit.  _ Her moans, her gasps, how did I think I could forget those? _ She shuddered from rubbing herself with his cock.  _  A mini-orgasm… _ Then he was in her, completely. Out here, where there was more livestock than people, she could be as loud as she wanted. He tried to go slow, make it last, but it had been so long since he had had a woman, his woman, her. She cried for him to go faster, go harder, to give it to her. Her sweet sensual moans, her pleas for his cock, he couldn’t resist, not now, not when it had been three years, seven months, two weeks and six days since he had seen her last. Not that he was counting or anything like that. She was his drug, and he was hopelessly addicted to her.

He was at least able to hold out until she came a second time, something he’d pat himself on the back for if he wasn’t coming so hard from hearing her completion.

“Next time, don’t wait so long,” she murmured with a smile. She was so beautiful in the moonlight, her face glowing in after sex happiness.

“Sansa...little bird…”

“Hmmm?”

“Marry me.” Her eyes went wide in shock. “Please?”


	3. Chapter 3

Her mother was still awake when Sandor dropped her off at the house. She waved cheerfully at Sandor as he drove away, but greeted Sansa with a frown, “Why is Officer Clegane delivering you to us? Where’s your car?”

“Um, there was an incident involving a squirrel…the car is a little dented, but I left a message with Mr. Selmy to look at it in the morning. Sa-- Officer Clegane thinks it should be fine, but he felt better knowing that I got here safely.”

“He’s a good man,” her mother said, her smile returning to her face. “A little rough around the edges, but still good.”

“He is,” Sansa agreed in a soft voice. Her legs felt like jelly, and not because of the proper fucking he had given her not half an hour ago. “Mother?”

“Hmm?”

“What else do you think of him?” she asked. Catelyn Stark placed her finger to her chin and considered the question.

“He needs laughter in his life,” she finally said.

“Laughter?”

“Yes, he’s a good man who’s been through bad times. He’s very dour, and serious, and finds little to be happy about. His friends help, but he needs someone who can be with him and bring out his better side. Hence, he needs laughter.”

“Oh…”

Catelyn studied her daughter for a moment. “You know, as a deputy, your father has nothing but praise for him. He’s one of the hardest workers in the sheriff’s department. He’s well liked by the community, despite his personality. And once you get past the scars, he’s actually quite good looking.”

Sansa grinned at that. “Very good looking. So, if I were to, maybe...date him...you would be ok with that?”

Catelyn nodded. “I would be fine with that. I would be proud to introduce him as my daughter’s boyfriend.”

“What if you introduced him as your daughter’s fiancé instead?” she asked innocently.

“That would be fine too-- wait,  _ fiancé?!” _ Her hand covered her mouth in shock as Sansa held up her left hand, showing her mother the engagement ring.

“How...when?” Catelyn asked excitedly.

“What’s all the commotion about?” Ned asked sleepily, shuffling into the front room. “Oh, Sansa, you’re home. How was your flight? And the movie?”

“Forget her flight and the movie! Ned, our little girl is engaged!” Catelyn squealed. Sansa hadn’t seen her mother this gleeful in years. The normally reserved Mrs. Stark was hard to throw off her game.

“What?! Please tell me it’s not to that boy you introduced me to, what was his name? Soft spoken young man, the really rich one that was trying to show off while being humble about it.”

“Willas? No, not him. He’s gay. Care to take another guess, Dad?” Sansa grinned. 

Catelyn rolled her eyes, kissed her daughter goodnight, and said, “Don’t stay up too late, you two,” before heading to bed.

Ned hrumphed, but said, “Do I at least get a hint?” He turned to head toward the kitchen, Sansa following behind him.

“Sure. Can you get it in five, Mr. Sheriff? Usual bet?” she asked. He nodded. “First hint: you know him already. Very well.” Sansa sat down at the table and put one finger up.

“Hmm...Joffrey?” Ned asked dubiously. He pulled out the milk and chocolate mix.

“Ew, no. Next hint: he’s gentle, brave, and strong.” She held up a second finger.

“Jaime Lannister?” Ned asked, pulling down two glasses and mixing the milk and chocolate.

“Ok, one, he’s your age. Two, he’s a twit for Brienne. No. Third hint: he is often misunderstood.”

“Tyrion?” He handed her one of the glasses.

“Dad, are you just going to name all the Lannisters? Tyrion is gaga for Shae, my best friend. You know that. Try again.”

“Fine, Bronn.”

“Close, but no. Fourth hint: he doesn’t take crap from anyone.” She held up four fingers.

“Please not Daario, the man is too reckless in the field. He’ll make you a widow within five years.” He was pleading with her.

She shook her head, “Why did you even give him a badge? Happily, no, he is not the one. Last hint: His family name is a bit notorious.”

“Sansa, I’m sorry but if it’s Ramsey--”

“NO! He gets off on whips and he's with… someone.” She didn't want to out Beric in case it wasn't common knowledge that he and Ramsay were together. 

“Theon?” Ned asked doubtfully.

“EW! He is practically my brother!”

“Uh, Pod?”

“He’s in love with Arya. No more hints, you owe me pancakes in the morning. Any more guesses?”

“Well, they can’t all be Sandor Clegane, now can they?” Ned said with a slight smirk.

Sansa raised an eyebrow, “You knew as soon as Mom said something, didn’t you?”

“Clegane was depressed as soon as you left, and got worse each month. At one point, he drunk himself into a stupor after ignoring several calls to his cell phone. The same day I called you and you said you couldn’t talk because you were trying desperately to contact someone.”

“You didn’t say anything to him? And why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“I spoke to him, but not directly about it. He shaped up a bit, but… You know how he is.”

Sansa sighed, “Yeah, I know. He’s stubborn about stuff like that.”

“And I didn’t tell you because...I didn’t want to force the issue. As you said, he can be stubborn, but so can you, when it comes to something or someone you really care about. He needed time, and so did you. I don’t know what happened between the two of you before you left, but he clearly wasn’t at a place in his life where he could accept it. I assume that now,” he gestured to the ring on her finger, “now he is.”

She smiled and nodded. “He loves me, but he was afraid I wasn’t really in love with him.”

Ned scoffed. “Anyone who sees you two together knows you’re both madly in love. He’s the only one who doubted it, but I can’t blame him. I found it hard to believe at first when I heard you two were friends.”

She laughed at that. “Me, too, actually. It was weird to realize, Sandor is my friend, and then, that I liked him. I know the age difference is not in our favor…”

Ned held his hand up, “You don’t need to defend yourself to me. You can’t help who you love. Look at Jaime and Brienne. Another allegedly mismatched couple, yet, I find myself cheering for them. Jaime is still an ass, but Brienne has gotten him to shape up. On the other hand, Brienne has always been a bit…um...”

“Uptight?” Sansa offered.

“Yes, a bit uptight, but Jaime has mellowed her out. A good couple brings out the best in each other. You and Sandor do that as well. You bring out a happiness in him that no one else has ever seen before. He brings out your inner strength. He cares about you, and he treats you like an equal, that’s all I care about.” 

“He really does, doesn’t he?” she said softly.

“So how did he propose?”

Sansa went red at that. “Um...it was kind of...spontaneous. We were talking, just having fun, and he suddenly said, ‘Marry me?’ followed shortly by, ‘Please?’ It was rather sweet.”

Her father frowned. “I thought you were planning on coming right back here after the movie? How did you meet up with Clegane? He’s scheduled for night patrols.”

She grimaced, she hated having to tell him the next part. “I met him on the way home from the movie. There was an incident with a squirrel, and I ran the car off the road. Sandor found me, helped me out. I’m fine, the car seems fine, but Sandor didn’t trust me to drive after that and insisted on bringing me himself.”

“Good man. I’ll have to consider giving him a raise.” Ned laughed.

Sansa rolled her eyes, but laughed as well. After a few quiet moments, she said, “I haven’t talked to him about it yet, but I want to get married soon. Maybe when I officially move back to Winterfell.”

“You don’t want to plan a big wedding?” Ned asked.

Sansa shook her head. “Not really. I just want to be with him. We’ve lost so much time already. If Mom insists, then I want to have a small ceremony in the godswood, and a planned ceremony in the sept a year later.”

“It would definitely cement your marriage in everyone’s eyes. I rather like that plan,” Ned said.

"Me, too, Dad. Me, too."


End file.
